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Overview
As a weekend tourist
destination for people in Thailand, Kuala Lumpur is long been in the
shadow of the more popular Singapore and Hong Kong. And while Kuala
Lumpur can't match the shopping, nightlife and cosmopolitan flair, it is
still a very attractive city for a weekend getaway from Bangkok. It just
a two hour flight from Bangkok and air tickets to the Malaysian capital
are usually very cheap. Hotels are good value too, even five star
hotels. The food is very diverse with lots of Chinese and Indian
influences. And in terms of architecture and cultural sights, Kuala
Lumpur will definitely keep you busy and impressed.
A bit of History
Kuala Lumpur's history
began in 1857 when a bunch of Chinese miners and traders in search of
tin landed where the Kelang and Gombak rivers meet and imaginatively
named the place Kuala Lumpur meaning ‘Muddy Confluence’. Slowly the city
attracted more miners and became a noisy, sprawling and violent boomtown
by the 1860s. A few decades later, Kuala Lumpur became increasingly
upmarket and residential. This was also the time when the central
government was transferred to Kuala Lumpur from Klang. In 1896 the city
became the capital of the newly formed Federated Malay States. Despite
the economic downturn of the late 1990s, Kuala Lumpur continued to
develop on a massive scale and became not only Malaysia's political and
commercial capital but also its most populous and prosperous city.
Finally, the opening of the Petronas Twin Towers in 1998 put Kuala
Lumpur firmly on the world stage.
How to Get There
Malaysia Airlines and
Thai
Airways offer multiple daily departures from
Bangkok to Kuala Lumpur.
Royal Jordanian also
offers flights between the two capitals a few times per
week.
The Highlights
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Go out the Petronas
Towers, the tallest twin towers in the world |
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Visit Bukit Bintang
for some great shopping
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Try great local
food such as Nasi Lemak or Satay |
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Get out of the city
and spend a day at Genting Highlands |
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Check the calendar
for the various cultural events in town |
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Country Profile
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City |
Kuala Lumpur
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Major Gateways |
Kuala Lumpur (KUL) |
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Population |
2.2 million |
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Languages |
Bahasa Malaysia |
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Main Religions |
Muslim |
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Currency
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Ringgit (MYR) |
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Time Difference with Thailand |
+1h |
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Calling Code |
+60 |
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Best Time to Visit |
All year round |
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Visa Requirement for Thai Citizens |
No visa required |
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Travel Time from
Bangkok |
2h (nonstop) |
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More info |
www.tourism.gov.my
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Map |
Click here
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